Serpents and Elevators
by California smells funny
Summary: A Valentine's Day oneshot, femslash slash content. HPDM and GWHG. Our heroes get stuck in an office block in a power cut...


**One-shot**

A/N: I'm back! I know I haven't posted anything in ages, and I am truly sorry, Due to sorting, the people who read this ficlet (if any) may not be those who have read any of my stuff before; up till now I've always been a total HPDM shipper, but recent revelations about myself have stirred an interest in all things femslashy. But on with the show!

_Warning: Slash / femslash etc. Well what do you expect from me? _

_-_

"Has Jen Downey called back yet?" The moment Harry Potter entered the office, he shot a question at his blond colleague.

"No, but Fudge has," Draco Malfoy replied through gritted teeth. "No matter how many times we tell him that the London Magical Council can deal with this kind of thing itself, he will insist on sticking his nose in. This time, he told Jen that instead of going ahead with the 'dangerous' idea of opening a wizarding aromatherapy shop in muggle London, she could get a plot in Diagon Alley."

Harry frowned. "What's in it for her?"

"Our charming friend at the Ministry said he could pull a few strings and get her one at a knockdown price," Malfoy replied, his voice loaded with sarcasm.

None of the four people running the London Magical Council liked Fudge, so Draco's acidic response was to be expected. The council did have a small staff, with Draco, Harry, Hermione Granger and Ginny Weasley working the office, and a few other witches and wizards on contract for field-work, and they were all only in their early twenties. But that didn't mean, as they so often tried to tell Cornelius Fudge, that they needed the Ministry of Magic breathing down their necks.

Harry rolled his eyes angrily. "Well he's not getting away with it this time. Have you got her number?"

"Yep." The blond handed him a slip of paper. Harry dialled the phone and stood waiting, leaning on the desk. "It's ringi-" He broke off abruptly as the phone went dead, and at the precise same moment, the lights went out, leaving the office in pitch darkness.

-

As Harry and Draco were having this exchange in the office, Hermione and Ginny were beginning to descend the building in the lift – the whole building belonged to the Magical Council, for privacy.

"So," Hermione leaned against the lift wall as they began to go down, "any plans for tonight? Any special Valentine you haven't told us about?"

Ginny laughed. "Nope. Evening in with hot chocolate and a couple of DVDs for me."

They proceeded in comfortable silence for a few moments, until suddenly the lift jolted to a halt, and they were plunged into unexpected darkness.

"It must be a power cut," Ginny's voice came from the floor, as she dragged herself back to her feet, having been unbalanced by the sudden stop.

Hermione growled exasperatedly. "Shit! I've got to get home to cook John's dinner!"

Although Hermione couldn't see it, Ginny's eyebrows arched in disbelief. "You're cooking his dinner on Valentine's Day? What are you, his fiancée or his slave?"

The dim backup lights flicked on just in time for Hermione to see that Ginny had smacked her hand over her mouth and was looking horrified. "Oh, god, Mione, I'm so sorry! I really shouldn't have said that."

-

The backup lights weren't so quick to come on upstairs in the office. Draco, who had sprung up from his swivel chair when the lights went off, was holding on to Harry with a death-grip.

"Malfoy," Harry said patiently, "would you be so kind as to get your hand off my ass?"

Draco let him go immediately, and felt behind himself for the chair, before sitting back down. "You didn't seem to mind last time I had my hand on your butt," he muttered.

Harry gaped. "Malfoy! You little… there is no accounting for what we do when drunk. And that was in bloody seventh year for god's sake! When I'd just defeated Voldemort, and _everyone _was doing stupid things!"

"Jeez, keep your hair on," Draco grinned demonically, visibly relaxing as faint light began to illuminate the room. "So what do you think just happened?"

"Duh! What do you think, Einstein? Little thing called a power cut."

Draco glared at his associate. "I'm not completely muggle-illiterate, Potter. So what are we going to do about it? I assume the door lock keypads will all be off, and we can't spell them open…"

Harry sighed. "Lend me your mobile, I'll call the power company." Once he had the phone, he bit his lip for a moment, remembering the number, and entered it. "Hello? Yes, I'm in the LMC building at 139 Langdon Street, and our power's out. Could you tell me what's happening? Mm-hm… Yep… OK, thankyou. Bye." He hung up and handed the phone back to Draco. "They're saying the power should be back on in an hour or so."

Draco looked aghast. "So I'm stuck in here with you for at least an hour? God, I need a cigarette…"

Harry made a short tutting noise. "You're not doing too well at giving up, are you? And remember what happened last time you had a cigarette? You nearly burnt the building down!"

Draco glared at him again. "That was only because you came in while I was smoking it!"

"Yeah," Harry shot back, "but you could have just admitted it, rather than sticking a _lit cigarette _in your_ desk drawer_. Doofus."

Draco was at a loss for words. "And another thing," Harry continued. "Those things can kill you. I already have a shocking list of dead people I've known. James Potter, father; Lily Potter, mother; Cedric Diggory, acquaintance and rival; Sirius Black, godfather; Tom Riddle, dark lord and lifetime nemesis… I have no desire to add 'Draco Malfoy, former enemy, current business partner and old one night stand' to the list."

-

Ginny stood stock still, looking mortified as she waited for Mione's reaction.

At last the brunette spoke. "Actually, you're right. The guy can't do anything for himself. I have to do everything!" As she went on, her voice gathered conviction. "And it really pisses me off! He's such a pain. I don't know why I ever agreed to marry him! I need someone who loves me for who I am, not what I can do for them!"

Ginny let out her breath in a huge gasp of relief as she realised that Mione wasn't going to chew her out for her faux pas.

Mione continued to elaborate. "He's never once cooked for me. It's always me that does it. I always have to cook, and clean, and wash up, and he expects me to look absolutely perfect all the time!" As she finished ranting, despair settled on her shoulders. "Oh god, I have impossible standards. Where the hell can I find someone that perfect?"

Sensing the change in her friend's mood, Ginny quickly pulled her into a hug. "Don't worry, you will find someone who's right for you, sweetie. Of course you will!"

"You think so?" Mione sniffed slightly.

"I know so," Ginny replied reassuringly.

"But what am I going to do? He's all I've got right now – I've got nowhere else to go!"

"Don't worry. You can come stay with me for as long as you need. I've got plenty of room."

-

"So was I any good?"

Harry whipped round at the sound of Draco's voice, and saw the blond slouching gracefully in the swivel chair, grinning cheekily. He sighed. "We were drunk and generally whacked out that night. I have no recollection either way."

"Liar." The smile continued to play across Draco's features. "Scared of what you might feel if you think about it?"

"Oh, bugger off," Harry retorted eloquently, turning back to the window. Absorbed in the task of silencing his thoughts, he didn't hear the catlike tread on the short-pile carpet as the blond crept up behind him. Then a quiet cough snapped him back into the room, and he turned around to get the shock of his life as Draco kissed him. It was only a second or two before Draco drew back and went back to his seat, where he sat down and began scrutinising his nails as if he'd been sitting there all along.

Harry stared at him in utter amazement. Hello, Reason, _what_ just happened?

-

A minute or two after Ginny's offer of accommodation, Mione was leaning on the lift wall, trying to regroup her thoughts. Ginny stood on the other side of the space, watching the brunette's face. The silence pressed on her heart; there was something she had to do.

"Mione?" The older woman looked up. "There's something I've got to tell you."

Mione took a deep breath; she looked totally composed now. "I'm listening." She smiled at the nervous-looking redhead.

"I… um…" The butterflies in Ginny's stomach had butterflies. "I couldn't say anything before, but now I…" She closed her eyes for a moment to organise her thoughts into a coherent sentence. When she opened them again, she found Mione standing just in front of her.

"Yes?"

"I love you." The words sounded so strange when she said them out loud. "I know you'll be freaked, and I've just made this situation really awkward, haven't I, but-" The rest of her sentence was caught by Mione's lips as they touched hers. The brief, chaste kiss that ensued did not last nearly long enough for Ginny's liking, and it seemed that Mione found it too short also. For it was followed by one longer and with much more feeling.

-

Harry ran his tongue over his bottom lip, still not believing what had just happened. He glanced over at Draco, who was watching him, his eyes following the raven's every move. The blond smirked slightly, one eyebrow half-raised in question as to what the other man would do next. To be honest, Harry wasn't all too sure himself.

Draco's eyebrow quirked a little further, and Harry felt a slight pique rise within him. As he returned the blond's cool stare, it rose further; Draco was toying with him, the way he used to when they were enemies.

Taking a deep, silent breath, Harry slowly approached Draco. When he got close, he bent down; their faces were now so close, they could feel the warmth of each other's breath. Draco's coolness began to evaporate in the heat of Harry's eyes.

"No games," Harry said firmly, almost whispering.

Draco's instincts stopped telling him to wind Harry up, and started telling him something else entirely. He wrapped his arms around Harry's neck, rising partway from his chair as he did so, and their lips met again.

-

Mione couldn't believe what she was doing. She was kissing Ginny, and it was making her feel a _whole _lot better than kissing John ever had. Ginny's tongue brushed teasingly across her closed lips, and she shivered.

Ginny didn't know why she was teasing the other woman; she had wanted this for years, and now it was right there; why was she delaying? She felt a sudden hot thrill run through her head when she realised; when you felt this way about someone, you could delay as much as you liked, and it would only make it better. She smiled when she felt Mione's tongue return the favour. She could feel the comfortable weight of Mione's hands at the small of her back, and her own rested on Mione's waist. As she relaxed, she moved her hands around Mione's back, and moved them up a little. A delicious shock thrilled through her stomach as hands slid under her shirt, running over her back. She pulled her face away to take a deep breath and flick her hair from her face, before settling back into her rhythm. Her hands continued to move up Mione's back, coming to rest at the back of her neck, before gently reaching up to take the curly brown hair out of its neat ponytail, smoothing out the ringlets.

She ran her tongue over Mione's lips again, and was surprised to feel them open softly, drawing her in with incredible sweetness that made her tremble.

Then the nature of the moment changed, as their tongues performed a fervent dance, their minds clouding over with feelings previously suppressed. Mione's hands slid around to the front of Ginny's white shirt, a gentle touch of the top button alerting Ginny to sweet intentions. She drew her face away, breathing harder than usual, catching Mione's hands in her own. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Ginny, I don't kiss like that unless I'm really feeling the moment. I'm pretty sure you don't either."

"Have you ever…"

"Have I… you mean as in am I a…"

"No, no I mean I figured you've… you know, before, but have you ever kissed a girl before?"

Mione shook her head. "No. But I've never had a kiss like _that_ before either."

-

An hour later, when the power returned, situations had changed within 139 Langdon Street. As light flooded the upstairs office, accompanied by a brief hum as the door locks re-activated, two drowsy young men blinked furiously, the sudden light bringing home their position.

Their position was, to be quite honest, not one they had been expecting: on the floor, half-dressed, and falling asleep in each other's arms.

"Hey you," Draco murmured, sitting up slowly and smiling at Harry.

"Hey," Harry replied softly.

"So was I any good this time?" Draco asked, the only hint of teasing in his voice now more seductive than mocking.

Harry kissed him briefly, a smile spreading over his own, slightly flushed face. "Perfect."

-

The lift had finally reached its destination. Its doors opened to the bottom floor, and its occupants stepped out. Ginny was fastening the last few buttons of her shirt; Mione was rummaging through her handbag in search of a comb. As the lift doors closed behind them, they caught each other's eye and shared a secret smile.

"Remind me to get stuck in lifts with you more often," Ginny said, a small giggle tripping off her tongue as she spoke.

"Couldn't agree more," Mione answered, finding her comb and running it quickly through her hair. "Thankyou."

Ginny threw her a quizzical look.

"Really, Ginny, thankyou. I didn't expect to find my perfect partner so soon. I love you."

Ginny blushed madly. "I love you too." She smiled back at her new lover. "Do you think we should wait down here for Harry and Draco, you know, make sure they're OK?"

Mione nodded, stowing the comb back in her bag and smoothing her skirt. "I guess so."

When the lift made its second trip to the ground floor, minutes later, its new inhabitants weren't expecting a welcoming committee. This was evident in the way that, when the doors slid open, Ginny and Mione found themselves in front of Potter Malfoy, business partners, former enemies and, basically, two people who couldn't stand each other, kissing like there was no tomorrow.

-

A year after the incident in the LMC building, Ginny and Mione found themselves sharing a very happy Valentine's Day, holed up in their little house with Pepsi, chocolate and a small mountain of romantic DVDs.

Not too far away, Harry and Draco were enjoying an equally lovely evening, in an adorable little Thai restaurant.

_I guess love just needs a quick poke in the right direction now and then. _

_-_

_A/N: So, what say you? Review, please, and expect updates/ new material soon! _


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